Semiconductor devices like semiconductor diodes, IGFETs (insulated gate field effect transistors) and IGBTs (insulated gate bipolar transistors) include a pn junction. When the pn±junction is forward biased, mobile charge carriers flood the semiconductor regions on both sides of the pn junction. Where at least one of these regions is formed as a drift zone with comparatively low impurity concentration and comparatively large extension along a current flow direction, the charge carriers may form a charge carrier plasma that has to be removed from the drift layer when the pn junction switches from forward biased to reverse biased. Removing the charge carrier plasma from the drift zone is known as reverse recovery and contributes to the dynamic switching losses of the semiconductor device. It is desirable to provide semiconductor devices with improved switching characteristics.